Noise enhanced histograms

Abstract

Apparatus for binning an input value into one of a plurality of bins which collectively represent a histogram of input values, each of the plurality of bins representing a corresponding range of input values, the apparatus comprising: an input for receiving an input value; a noise source configured to generate an error value according to a predetermined noise distribution; and a binning controller configured to mix the received input value with the error value so as to generate a modified input value and to allocate the modified input value to the bin corresponding to that modified input value.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for binning an input value into one of a plurality of bins for use by one or more processing algorithms, each of the plurality of bins representing at least one corresponding value, the apparatus comprising:
 a binning controller configured to mix an input value with an error value so as to generate a modified input value and to allocate the modified input value to the bin corresponding to that modified input value, wherein the error value is generated by selecting the error value from a pseudorandom sequence of error values which collectively represent a predetermined noise distribution. 
 
     
     
       2. Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the input value is a value of data representative of a physical parameter. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the input value is a value of data representative of a parameter of an imaging device. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the input value is for a camera pipeline. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is provided at a device, and wherein said one or more processing algorithms perform one or more control or calibration functions at the device. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is provided at an imaging device. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the input value is associated with a captured frame, and the distribution of input values for that captured frame is represented by a histogram. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is provided at an image processing pipeline, and wherein said one or more processing algorithms are one or more image processing algorithms. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus as claimed in  claim 8 , the image processing pipeline being an image processing pipeline of a camera and the image processing algorithms being at least one of an automatic exposure algorithm, an automatic white balance algorithm, and an autofocus algorithm. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises an input for receiving the input value. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a noise source configured to generate the error value according to the predetermined noise distribution. 
     
     
       12. Apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined noise distribution has a variance which is substantially equal to the average width of the bins or the width of the largest bin. 
     
     
       13. Apparatus as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined noise distribution has a variance within 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 or 35% of the average width of the bins or the width of the largest bin. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , the binning controller being configured to combine each input value it receives for binning with a new error value from the pseudorandom sequence. 
     
     
       15. Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bins collectively represent a histogram of values. 
     
     
       16. Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of bins represents a corresponding range of input values. 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon machine-readable code which when processed by an integrated circuit manufacturing system causes the generation of an apparatus for binning an input value into one of a plurality of bins for use by one or more processing algorithms, each of the plurality of bins representing at least one corresponding value, the apparatus comprising:
 a binning controller configured to mix an input value with an error value so as to generate a modified input value and to allocate the modified input value to the bin corresponding to that modified input value, wherein the error value is generated by selecting the error value from a pseudorandom sequence of error values which collectively represent a predetermined noise distribution. 
 
     
     
       18. A method for binning an input value into one of a plurality of bins for use by one or more processing algorithms, each of the plurality of bins representing at least one corresponding value, the method comprising:
 mixing an input value with an error value so as to generate a modified input value; and 
 allocating the modified input value to the bin corresponding to that modified input value, 
 wherein the error value is generated by selecting the error value from a pseudorandom sequence of error values which collectively represent a predetermined noise distribution. 
 
     
     
       19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon machine-readable code which when executed causes the implementation of the method for binning an input value into one of a plurality of bins as set forth in  claim 18 .